Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. Harriet Van Horne

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Sweet Challah

I should have made this for Jewish New Year, but I missed the date by about a week. I was nervous about braiding the dough, but it wasn’t as hard as I was anticipating. If nothing else, this is a beautiful loaf of bread to create.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tblsp at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will be very soft).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two finger into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)

Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), on a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 25 inch rope, with slightly tapered ends. Place ropes lengthwise on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal; pinch ends together at untapered ends to seal. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine 1 tsp water and egg yolk, stirring with a fork until blended. Uncover loaf, and gently brush with egg yolk mixture. Sprinkle evenly with poppy seeds. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Holla Sweet Challah! Husband said this reminded him of Hawaiian bread. To me it was similar, but not as sweet. I would love to serve this sweet bread with a thick rich soup on a rainy day. (I’m dreaming and ready for fall…)